Applicant's DE 102 61 513 A1 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,733), describes a method of the general type under consideration in which, in the event of a brake, pedal actuation, a deceleration setpoint value is ascertained and compared to a current deceleration actual valise, and a brake-application energy reference value Kappa (also called BDN) is ascertained from the comparison. Furthermore, the brake-application energy setpoint values (brake pressure setpoint values) are separately ascertained for the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle. For this purpose, the deceleration setpoint value, a value w dependent on the brake-application energy reference value Kappa as a function of Kappa, and brake-application energy levels (brake pressure levels) are ascertained separately for the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle. In determining these separate brake-application energy levels for the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle, stored characteristic maps are used, which illustrate the dependencies of the brake pressure levels of the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle on the brake-application energy reference value Kappa and/or on the axle load distribution.